Joyeux Noël
by Rire
Summary: Oneshot of Odd and Zephyr on Christmas. Pure and pointless fluff.


-1Well, Christmas is almost over and everything is winding down, so I finally have a moment to write this.

It's pure fluff, not tragedy this time, and it is OddxZephyr of course. I know I need to update my multi-chapter story, but I felt the weirdest urge to write a Christmas one-shot.

I hope all of you have had a most wonderful holiday, whichever one you celebrate, and I hope you enjoy this one-shot that has more fluff than a marshmallow.

---------------------------

Zephyr's apartment was drowsy. She'd left the radio to play softly the last of the Christmas carols for the year. Though it was warmly lit, the room was sparsely decorated. A small Christmas tree stood in a place of honor on an end table, holding up some very old ornaments, some white lights, and of course, a star on the highest bough. Underneath the tree was a somewhat small, messily wrapped box with "Odd" scrawled on the tag. In each of the apartment's windows stood an electic candle.

Zephyr herself lay on the couch which stood in the middle of the room next to the end table. She was wearing her normal gray hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans, and her shoes lay on the floor beside her. She'd propped herself up so she leaned against the back of the worn piece of furniture and had fallen asleep.Her chest rumbled quietly as she breathed.

The door to the apartment opened and a tall, rather thin blond entered. He threw his trench-style coat on the hook beside the door and shook the snow off of his golden hair before striding over to the couch. He placed another wrapped gift under the tree next to the other one. It was similar in size and shape, but the wrapping job was very neat and the name "Zephyr" was written in gorgeous, slanting cursive. His eyes flitted to the redhead on the sofa and his face melted into a warm, albeit almost worried smile. He set a small, closed plastic container on the coffee table, took his scarf from around his neck, and gently gave her shoulder a shake, putting his face close to hers.

"Hey," He whispered, "Hey, Zephyr, wake up. You're sleeping right through Christmas, Love."

The young woman's dusky eyes slid open and their sleepy haze cleared slowly. She yawned and smiled at him before looking out one of the windows. It was dark outside, and snow was falling rapidly.

"Hey," She greeted, hugging him, "I didn't know you were coming by tonight." Odd smiled the winning smile and brushed that ever-stray lock of hair behind her ear, knowing that in the few moments it'd be in her face again. He just wanted to touch her.

"I had to," He explained. "It's Christmas, you're sick, and I still have to give you your present." Zephyr blushed and squirmed a little, becoming bashful.

"Ah, Odd, you didn't have to. Besides I don't want you getting this." Even as she said it, she coughed and had to spit a glob of phlegm into a wastebasket she had nearby for the purpose. It made Odd laugh a little.

"I also brought you some soup." He motioned to the container on the coffee table. "It's a recipe my mom gave me and I remember it helping a lot when I was sick."

"Odd, have I ever told you that you're the best?" Zephyr asked, pulling herself up off the couch and fetching two small bowls and two spoons that didn't match. Her hands shook a little but she managed to divide up the soup evenly. It was rich, beautiful, soup, and the only way to eat it was slowly. "And you say you can't cook," Zephyr laughed, pushing on his arm playfully after a few bites. It was his turn to be bashful. He shrugged.

Despite their savoring the meal, it was small and went quickly. The pair filled the evening with chatter.

"So how are you feeling?" Odd asked, moving closer and putting an arm around her shoulders, which shrugged for an answer.

"Better. Now I'm just coughing up stuff and I don't have any energy at all, hence why I'm here on the couch. But my fever is gone, so I'm good." She tried to laugh but ended up coughing again. Odd sighed sympathetically before becoming enthusiastic once again.

"Here, open it!" He placed her package in her lap gently. She handed him his. "Sorry it's not much," he apologized.

"Oh, don't be like that. You didn't have to get me anything at all."

"Go ahead, open it!" With tis prompting Zephyr ripped the paper off of the package. It was a picture frame box. "The store messed up, so the frame isn't the same as on the box. So open it and see if you like the frame." Though she raised an auburn eyebrow curiously at him, she did so.

The frame _was _as pictured on its box, however, Zephyr's hand flew to her mouth as her jaw dropped. For long moments she stared. In the frame was an old picture of her mother. She tried to speak, but her voice broke and she had to try again, this time successfully as she looked at Odd, her eyes flooding.

"W-where did you get this?" She whispered, "I lost this picture years and years ago." Odd nodded and whispered back,

"I know. When you had to leave you left it in your dorm room by accident." Together they looked at the picture. Anora was laughing as she leaned on the wooden bartop of some pub, obviously in Ireland.

"She looks a lot like you," Odd ventured quietly. Zephyr nodded, a painful lump in her throat. Suddenly she threw her arms around the blond.

"Oh, Odd, this is the best thing I've ever gotten," she breathed into his ear. "If I weren't sick I'd kiss you right about now." Odd returned her hug and enjoyed her smell and the feel of her. She was everything.

After a bit, Zephyr pulled away and wiped her eyes. She smiled at the mother she could not otherwise remember- this was one of the only pictures she had. The redhead turned to Odd and said, "Open yours now!"

Odd struggled with the package. "Jesus, Mary, and Holy Saint Joseph, how much tape did you use?" got a laugh out of both of them. Eventually he wrestled the box out of its paper prison. He lifted the box's lid off and brushed the tissue paper aside before it was his turn to gasp and look at her, jaw dropped and eyebrows raised in amazement.

"You're not serious."

"You said you wanted to see your family," Zephyr offered, almost meekly.

"But how did you-?" She cut him off.

"Don't worry about the details. Just go be with your family while you still have off from work."

"But you're sick; I can't just leave you here." She waved her had dismissively.

"Odd, I'm twenty-three years old. I think I can manage. I went through Hell and back to get that ticket and you're going to use it." Odd smiled and stared at the ticket for a moment before tackling her in a gratuitous hug. "Hey! Odd, I can't breathe!" She laughed, this time not coughing. He lay beside her on the sofa, pressed for room. Both enjoyed it. The amber of the rising sun in his eyes met the true dusk of hers and, for a moment, all they could do was breathe and stare.

"Oh, what the hell! It is Christmas, after all." He exclaimed before pressing his lips firmly to hers. She kissed back, much to his delight, and each enjoyed the shiver they got from the other. Finally they separated, breathless from the exhilaration, Zephyr panting slightly more vigorously.

"You are _so_ going to get sick." She shook her head.

"Ah, it was worth it."

For a long time they lay there, talking quietly for hours. Eventually they began to run out of things to say and both grew tired. Zephyr yawned before finally letting her gorgeous pale eyes slip closed.

"Joyeux Noël(1), Odd." She whispered. Odd felt himself drifting as well. He knew he _should _go back to his apartment and that he _should _get up, but he couldn't bring himself to do so, so he stayed and whispered,

"Joyeux Noël, Zeph." Before letting his fingers brush that ever-stray lock of hair behind her ear, smiling, and falling asleep.

Outside, the snow fell.

------------------

It was disjointed and not very good because I made it up as I went along. Plus it's my first "fluffy" thing, along with my first one-shot. Please tell me what you think!

(1)- "Joyeux Noël" is French which roughly translates into "Merry Christmas." As they're in France I thought this was appropriate.


End file.
